Crime going down in Charlotte: What's the latest in the trend?

Crime going down in Charlotte: What's the latest in the trend?Photo: iStock
Hoodline
Published on August 23, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Charlotte saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects reports from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 1,545 for the week of Aug. 12, down from 1,618 the week before.

The specific offenses that decreased the most were theft and robbery. Theft fell to 707 incidents last week, from 746 the week before. Robbery went from 50 to 43.

While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a sizable percentage decrease in shootings, from five incidents per week to one, and in arson, from five to two incidents.

There were 104 reported vandalism incidents last week. That represents a decrease from 108 incidents the previous week.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last week, reports of assault went from 276 to 289, and burglary rose from 93 to 106.

There were 293 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 42 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 63 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, down from 72 reported arrests the week before.

Looking at crime patterns in different areas of the city, Montclaire South, East Forest and Hidden Valley had the most reported incidents last week. Hidden Valley was at the top of the list the previous week as well.

Crime in Dilworth decreased the most. Crime reports in Oak Forest also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in University City South are down considerably as well.

Regarding day and time factors, Monday, Thursday and Tuesday saw the most crime incidents last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Friday, Sunday and Wednesday, while incidents on Saturday and Thursday went up. Comparing times of day, early morning, late morning and late afternoon saw the most crime last week.

Want a longer-term view of crime in Charlotte? Here's our latest monthly crime report.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.